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Seventies Bikini

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This was my major project this summer, making a bikini with a good fit.

I love the bikini’s from the late sixties and seventies, (see the ladybird ad) so I decided to make a bikini with a similar look. I had a smal fabric leftover in my stash witch was perfect for this project, it has little fosforent green trees on it and a tropical flower border. The fabric is a lightweight jersey, not lycra. I used white lycra lining to give the bikini more “body”.

The first problem was finding a pattern in a size 46 with an E cup bra,… I found a pattern for a bikini top in Burdamoden May 1975 ( isn’t this look great, a long skirt and a bikinitop!!!! ), it looked perfect, but size 42. I made some alterations and made a chiffon first. It didn’t fit at all, so I had to start all over again, and made a pattern after a well fitting bra, this was close to perfection. While making the bikinitop I still had to make alterations. For the bikinipants I drafted a pattern after a pair of knickers.

I used the flower border for the top of the pants, and for the bikinstraps. For the closure I used 3 simple hooks and eyes.

I’m quite happy with the result. But although I used the same bonig and underwire as in my bra, the top doesn’t give support like this bra. Maybe I have to fix this in some way. A lady from a lingerieshop told me the more pieces a bra has, the more support. So this is something to keep in mind when I make my next bikini! Another thing is the Lycra lining, as lycra has more elasticity than jersey, the lining has the tension to peek out, so next time I have to cut the lining smaler than the actual fabric.

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